Voluntary sector infrastructure charities (Councils for Voluntary Service, Rural Community Councils, Volunteer Bureaux etc) have been struggling for years to reinvent themselves as their tradition local authority and other public sector funding has declined (in many cases ceasing altogether).

Many have rebranded. Almost all have significantly extended their range of services, often to include coordination and delivery of a range of local social welfare services. Some have merged and some, sadly, have closed.

For many it has felt like they are fighting a losing battle to convince cash-strapped statutory funders of the value of their services and the impact they make for communities by supporting the myriad voluntary groups and small charities that are the lifeblood of communities across the country.

There have been many success stories of reinvention and renewal, often driven by visionary local leadership and highly effective relationships with key partners in local government and the NHS. We have been privileged to play a small part in helping some of those successful organisations turn themselves around (sometimes from imminent closure) and ultimately to thrive.

Then along comes the Covid-19 pandemic. And guess what? Suddenly local authorities and health services desperately need local voluntary sector umbrella organisations to help them cope with the crisis; to organise help for vulnerable people during lockdowns, coordinate volunteers for testing and vaccination centres and undertake many other tasks that would be impossible without access to the army of local volunteers and groups who make our communities work.

It has been wonderful to see even some of the more vulnerable infrastructure support charities respond positively and with real impact when the call came. It’s also great to see this recognised in the recent NCVO report on the voluntary sector and Covid-19. It has also been worrying to see the stress their, often very few, staff have been placed under as they have rolled up their sleeves to get the job done, still with insufficient funding.

They have really shown their worth and the value of intermediary organisations that can quickly mobilise local groups and charities to keep people safe and deliver vital services when the public sector seems unable (or in some cases unwilling) to do so. Their knowledge and access to hyper-local provision is, in many areas, unrivalled and they have undoubtedly saved many lives in the last year or so.

The question now is whether that recognition will be sustained beyond the pandemic. Will local authorities continue to need their help with rebuilding? Will funders rediscover the value of the essential community resilience these organisation bring, when calmer waters are reached? Will the organisations themselves be able to sustain the profile they have gained, evidence their impact and capitalise on this to carve out sustainable roles in areas such as social prescribing, community resilience and community development?

We really hope so. Those with strong leadership (Trustees and staff) and the foresight to recognise the opportunities before them should be able to grasp these opportunities and make a real difference for the benefit of their communities. What many of them need to do now is step back, reflect on the experience of the last 12 months and develop strategies and plans for their future.

We are already working with some of these organisations to help them to do that and we look forward to more opportunities as we emerge from the pandemic into whatever the “new normal” turns out to be. If you would like to explore how we could help your charity develop its plans for the future please contact us at julian@almondtreeconsulting.co.uk to arrange free initial discussion.